Folding saw - or no folding saw?

For me saws are great in dispersed camping where there might be downed trees that I can saw up or on day hikes. On day hikes it's really just there for a just in case scenario because it's lighter and it's easier to store in a bag for long periods than a tent and sleeping bag are. I use it more around the house and I don't even own a house so that shows you how much I need one. I have less use for an axe though. ;) In summer I don't carry the saw at all on day hikes. No need.

Silky is my favorite so far. I've tried the Gerber and Fiskars models they put out. They were okay but a lot more prone to bending from binding.
 
My Sven Saw has saved a lot of work and calories over the years. I like to stay practiced with the Leatherman and SAK saws, and also with hatchet and hawk use, yet when time, temperature and waning light is upon me and large, good shelter is needed, for me at least, a good, lightweight saw works fastest and safest.

Mark
 
I kind of like the folding saws but the usual 7-9" blade just seems to be a bit smaller than what I'd want it for.

I have been toying with the idea of making a buck saw, using a $10, 21" Bahco saw blade from Amazon.
 
I use a Wyoming Saw when I'm hunting. Sturdy, handles wood and game easily. I haven't compared to anything else but it's never let me down.
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I just ordered a Silky Gomboy 240mm with large teeth from Amazon for $28. Have the prices dropped on these? I think I remember when I was looking for one a few years ago they were alot more than that.

Anyway, I thought that was a good deal so I jumped on it. And yes I went with the large teeth even though it seems like most people recommend the medium, however, the few people that do use the large teeth really swear by them. I guess I'll find out.
 
Hi! Along the years, for my camping style (build a small camp fire, set up a tarp/igloo tent, make walking sticks, etc.), I have preferred the folding saw to the hatchet. I currently own a Felco 600 and a Fiskars X5. The Felco saw weights around 180 g, the X5 around 480 g. In my personal experience, the use of the X5 vastly overlaps with the use of my larger camp knife, the Fallkniven A1. Splitting wood, limbing branches, preparing some kindling, etc. are all jobs the A1 can take easily with half of the weight, even though it involves batoning (no problem for me but someone finds this technique questionable :)). Hard to beat the Felco 600 when you need a precisely clean cut pole or you need clean cut medium logs for the camp fire. Overall I can say the saw, compared to hatchet, process the wood for my needs in a cleaner and more precise way. It's also much lighter to carry, if this is an issue. Of course, if we are talking about a real forest ax (not a compact camping hatchet), then it's another thing and we can not compare.

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I like folding saws, but more often than not I find myself bringing my 21" bahco bow saw out often. I love that thing.
 
I think saws are just so efficient for numerous tasks. If it wasn’t winter in a very cold place, I prefer pairing a small saw with a fixed blade knife more than I would with an axe. Don’t get me wrong, an axe and bucksaw combo are a powerful pair, but when balancing weight for performance, saws provide a lot of efficiency. I even like the smaller folding saws as they are extremely adept and efficient at constructing shelters, furniture, tools, collecting bows, etc. My favorite compact is the small Silky 130; compact but a very powerful little saw and quite robust. Even the smaller folding ones are very efficient to clean up a camp area, prep my hammock site, make some clean, efficient cuts that would risk my knife chipping especially when close to the ground. The value of even a small folding saw is only limited to one's imagination. I think another nice aspect is that you can get some really clean, technical cuts for traps, fire stands and shelters much faster than with an plain-edged tool.

The Bahco is such a great staple, no bushcrafter is complete without one!

I have a couple of Gerbers and a Fiskars collapsible saws. The lightest Gerber is really pretty sweet and one I often take backpacking. It does have a thin blade and you can’t torque it hard, but it is more than capable of feeding a decent sized warming fire.

The surprise of the bunch is an inexpensive Corona 14”, fixed-blade that I’ve taken out quite often on shorter backpacking trips where we planned to do a lot of open-fire cooking. It’s really a great saw and not too heavy.

I’m really disappointed Sawvivor went boots-ups (last I heard). I have the 15” model and it is really one of the best, packable buck saws. I actually prefer it over a Sven saw I had many moons ago. The biggest bonus is that it houses two blades, so I always have a backup. It’s also pretty light and just plain simple.

I have an older buck saw, the Trailblazer, and it's a tube-constructed one. The 24” blade is nice, but it requires special plastic caps so cheap hardware-store blades won’t work off the shelf. It’s your standard bucksaw construction when put together, but it’s heavy and kind of a PITA to set up. On the flip side, my new Dustrude Quick Bucksaw is probably the best packable, large bucksaw on the market. Perfectly simple and fast to put into operation and collapse. The 24” blades are standard (you just have to swap the hardware) and it folds up tight and svelte. It’s also one of the lighter saws and just a little bit of sawing I’ve done, it works like a charm.











Weights for reference:

Tube-designed bucksaw (Trailblazer): 23oz
Dustrude’s Quick Bucksaw: 15.8oz
Sawvivor, 15” (two blades): 10.1oz
Corona 14” fixed-blade saw: 13.5oz (that’s with the sheath)
Silky 170: 7.6oz
Bahco: 6.4oz
Silky 130: 6.0oz
Larger Gerber: 4.8oz
Fiskars: 4.0oz
Lightweight Gerber: 3.4oz
Opinal: 4.2oz

Cheers! ROCK6
 
I like folding saws. Use them a lot around the house, so I know their capabilities. I carry a Silky Pocketboy in my day pack, along with a 5" +/- fixed blade and folder. At one time the SOG Revolver was my "folding saw", but I have seemed to have misplaced that knife for the last year or so. It will turn up. I got it shortly after they were released.
 
For a simple folding saw there is nothing better than a Silky. Period.
My Super Accel 210 is a bit short for fixed camp though but other than that it plows through wood like it's butter.
Combined with an Fiskars X11 or GB Small Forest Axe and my ESEE-4 or F1 it's a pretty potent trio.

Getting a 24" dustrude saw soon, I hope. It looks like the most practical of all foldable bow/buck saws. Most others all seem to have one big draw back.
I like the idea of the Boreal21 from Agawa Canyon too but the dustrude has longer versions and it's cheaper.

Had some car issues so some gear purchases have to wait a while anyway.
 
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I've had a small Gerber folding saw for nearly 20 years (it's got a 6" blade) and with careful use it's survived. It weighs little or nothing and cuts well. Sometimes I pack a 15" or 21" Sven Saw (especially on backpack trips where we plan to make shelters and large fires). But the little Gerber gets the job done most of the time.
 
I have purchased 4 Bahco Laplander Folding Saws, 9-Inch Blade.
Gave 2 to my brothers and 1 to a friend. All of them liked it and 1 brother put it through a few trips to Yellowstone and commented on how easy it was to cut through 4" diameter wood. At about $21 its a good buy. Lightweight and folds to take up little space. I can't comment on a hatchet or axe because I do not have one yet but plan to pick on up soon.

Good point about safer at night as well, I would feel uncomfortable swinging a chopper, axe or hatchet without proper lighting
 
mp31x said:
... Bahco Laplander Folding Saws...
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+1 on this. I purchased one recently and just broke it in this past weekend. I'm pretty sure that a Laplander paired with my Becker BK4 (or perhaps my newly acquired BK9!) can get me through a large majority of wood processing needs if an axe/hatchet isn't available.
 
Semper Praesidio said:
+1 on this. I purchased one recently and just broke it in this past weekend. I'm pretty sure that a Laplander paired with my Becker BK4 (or perhaps my newly acquired BK9!) can get me through a large majority of wood processing needs if an axe/hatchet isn't available.
Click to expand...

The price is right on them and the little room it takes up in a pack compared to a hatchet/axe is a plus. If you are not a fan of saws and like blades only just pretend its a large folder ;) You could probably get away with just the saw and a smaller 4"-6" blade but the Bk9 looks fun. Be looking for pics after you knock the new off it.
 
Usually backpacking I won't bring a saw (or axe), but when I know I'm going to be cooking over an open fire I bring a lightweight Fiskar/Gerber (3.3 oz)- it really speeds up wood processing. I brought the same saw on the Bob Marshall Open last spring as we were fording (and potentially swimming) big, swift rivers and a quick large fire would have been a necessity.

In most instances I'd be much more apt to bring a saw than an axe; a larger fixed blade can do a good job of splitting the already sawn rounds at 1/3 or less of the weight of an axe
 
All of the folding saws that I have used failed at the pivot point sooner than later. I've been using the Outdoor Edge Griz saw for many years and love it. Doesn't fold, cuts fast, under $20.

For larger tasks or more cutting in a session I make a frame in the field for a 30" bow saw blade. I have a heavy duty split ring and a carabiner on either end of the blade and clip it to the outside of a pack, haversack, beltloops, etc to carry it. Use an old bike inner tube as a sheath. DNR encourages us to kill NNISs (Non Native invasive Species) and I have found that buckthorn has enough strength, flexibility and spring to work pretty well for a field improvised bow saw frame. Only takes a few seconds to make and am doing our woods a favor.

The thinner the blade, the less work to saw with it. Thus those pocket chainsaw blades are next to worthless because they require vastly more effort to make the same cut.

The longer the blade, the more efficient your stroke.

Of course, the more aggressive the teeth and the sharper the better.
 
With the arthritis in my hands and wrists getting progressively worse, I found that my Silky Pocketboy creates a lot less impact/pain. I still have a couple of big choppers but dont use them much now. Probably should give them to my son.--KV
 
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